HI, IM CLAIRE

As a student, I like to think of myself as the master of a balancing act. I love cooking and eating healthy foods, but sometimes I only have enough time to grab something quick. And sometimes that something is a cheeseburger. As for exercise, I love the way I look and feel after a good work out, but if all of my friends are in my apartment watching The Bachelor, I might be more inclined to stay home and do that as opposed to wiping the stinging sweat out of my eyes at boot camp.

That’s why I’m here. I want to impart my ideas about how to balance food and fitness in a realistic and attainable way in order to achieve health. I don’t like diets, so don’t come here expecting to find one. But, if you’re here looking for a practical way to look at health and fitness from the perspective of a college student (or maybe just a very busy person), then I might have just the thing for you.

On the other hand, though, baking sucks. You need to measure things precisely, dirty a sinkful of dishes, and then you get stuck with dozens of sugary baked goods that will haunt you until you either give them away or stuff them in your own piehole (/muffinhole/cookiehole/cupcakehole).

These brownies are a different story. They’re low calorie, high protein, high fiber, and only require a handful of ingredients. Your kitchen will be clean in no time and you’ll be left feeling like you are that dynamic, tattooed girl with her own shabby chic bakery.

directions:1. Preheat your oven to 350° and coat a 9×9 baking dish with PAM.2. In a medium mixing bowl, mash your ripened bananas well with a fork.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.4. Scoop your batter into the baking dish and using your spatula or spoon, spread it evenly into the dish. It might help to spray your spatula with PAM too.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes and let them cool completely before cutting and removing them from the pan.

Ya know, sometimes dinner just doesn’t cut it. Sometimes 9 pm rolls around and you’re in bed watching Dexter and despite the blood and violence, you find yourself feeling hungry. The last thing you need before bed is some simple carb-fueled sugar high. Cue the late night lollipop– the simple snack sweet enough to ward off any premium channel-level gore induced nightmares.

I’ll admit it. When you think of Fourth of July, your mind probably goes to hot dogs and hamburgers, not chia seeds. Fair enough. But how damn cute are these layered pudding parfaits? Add to that the healthy fat and fiber content of chia seeds and I think you might start thinking about the holiday a little differently.

directions:1. Gather three small bowls. To each bowl, add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds.

2. In one bowl, add your blueberries. To a second bowl, add your strawberries. The third bowl should still only have chia seeds.

3. Add 1/3 cup almond milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to each bowl. Stir until combined.4. Refrigerate for at least a few hours until the chia seeds have soaked up the almond milk and expanded, creating a pudding texture.5. In a small clear glass, layer the puddings and feel American.

I’m a grocery store professional. I’m in, I grab my staples, and I’m out. Unfortunately, this impressive level of efficiency has lent itself to my becoming a serial produce purchaser. Check my fridge at any time and you’re sure to find apples, berries, and not much else in the way of fruit.

Lately, though, I’ve been setting aside a little extra time to peruse what’s been offered up by the changing seasons. Call me inspired or driven by culinary boredom, but things have gotten preeeeetty interesting in The Slender Student mini fridge.

Intrigued? Well then check out the little something I threw together with a couple of my more exotic recent finds. This pudding is so simple and versatile, and it’s as easy to make one serving as it is to make ten. It’s low calorie enough that you might be tempted to do just that.

Top this treat with kiwi, mango, or any other fruit that suits your fancy. And if you want to suit your fanciest of fancies, go with this chocolate peanut butter variation.

directions:1. In a small bowl, combine the chia seeds, almond milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Stir until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, though typically like leaving mine in the fridge overnight.3. Top the thickened pudding with your fresh mango and kiwi; enjoy!

Summer is a time for smoothies. Or, if you’re a bit of a food snob who likes to pay a premium for blended fruit, it’s a time for açaí bowls. I don’t mean to completely rag on the trend, as I actually find açaí bowls pretty delicious. Plus there’s something to be said about the level of satisfaction you get from chewing, as opposed to sipping, your food. What I do have a problem with, though, is paying over $8 for a snack or light breakfast of fruit topped with granola, honey, more fruit, nuts, et cetera. Give that ingredient list a bit of thought and you’ll realize that they’re sugary calorie bombs.

So the other day I did a bit of kitchen experimenting to come up with a smoothie bowl that’s both inexpensive and packed with a few choice ingredients to keep us all slender and satisfied. I had frozen raspberries on hand, but I’d also be curious to blend one up with blueberries or even frozen açaí if I could ever find it in the store.

directions:1. Spread your oats on a small baking sheet and toast them for 5 minutes in a 350° oven until lightly browned and slightly crunchy.2. In a blender, combine the frozen raspberries, protein powder, and Greek yogurt. Blend until completely smooth.3. In a mug or bowl, begin layering your smoothie bowl. Spoon in the raspberry mix, then the toasted oats, sliced banana, flaxseed, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy!